NORTH AMERICA. 
297 
Llnarla ciris (emberiza ciris Linn.) or painted 
finch, or nonpareil of Catefby, is not feen North 
of Cape Fear, in North Carolina, and feldom ten 
miles from the fea coaft, or perhaps twenty or 
thirty miles, near the banks of great rivers, in 
fragrant groves of the Orange (Citrus aurantium) 
Zanthoxylon, Laurus Borbonia, Caffine, Sider- 
oxylon, &c. 
Linaria cyanea (tanagra Linn.) the blue linnet, 
is fuppofed by fome to be the nonpareil, in an early 
ftageoflife, not being yet arrived to his brilliancy 
and variety of colours 3 but this is certainly a mis- 
take, for the blue linnet is longer and of a tenderer 
configuration, and their notes more variable, vehe- 
ment and fonorous. And they inhabit the continent 
and fea coafl Hands from Mexico to Nova Scotia, 
from the fea coafr. Weft beyond the Apalachean 
and Cherokee mountains. The fongs of the non- 
pareil are remarkably low, foft and warbling, ex- 
ceedingly tender and foothing. 
Catefby, in his hiftory of Carolina, fpeaking of 
the cat-bird (mufcicapa vertice nigro)fays, cc They 
have but one note, which * re fe rubles the mewing 
of a cat 3” a miftake very injurious to the fame ot 
that bird 3 he, in reality, being one of our moft 
eminent fongfters, little inferior to the philomela 
or mock-bird 3 and, in fome remarkable inftances, 
perhaps, exceeds them both, in particular as a buf- 
foon or mimick. He endeavours to imitate every 
bird and animal, and in many attempts does not ill 
fucceed, even in rehearfing the fongs, which he at- 
tentively liftens to, from the fhepherdefs and rural 
fwain 3 and will endeavour and fucceed to admira- 
tion, in repeating the melodious and variable airs 
from ihftrumental muftc, and this in his wild ftate 
of 
